Rochester, MN – A water heater at a northwest Rochester home was leaking carbon monoxide on Monday evening, affecting an elderly woman and infant, according to Rochester Fire Department officials.
The women and infant were not taken to the hospital, but were evaluated by Gold Cross on site, Assistant Fire Marshal Larry Mueller said.
The home, at the 800 block of 44th Avenue Northwest, had an older water heater that was leaking the gas, Mueller said. The fire department found carbon monoxide levels in excess of 120 parts per million, he said.
Levels up to 70 parts per million usually do not affect people, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Levels of 150 to 200 parts per million can cause disorientation, unconsciousness, and possibly death, according to the CPSC.
The fire department contacted Minnesota Energy, which will work with the family to take out the water heater, Mueller said.